District of New Hampshire

            CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Manuel Tirado (34) of New York City, was sentenced on Tuesday to serve 15 years in prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone pills and failing to appear in Court.  

            Court documents and statements in court showed that Tirado was a New York-based source of supply who provided oxycodone pills to a group of drug traffickers who were distributing the pills in Manchester, New Hampshire.  During a law enforcement investigation in 2013 and 2014 that included the use of controlled purchases of drugs and multiple wiretaps, investigators learned that Samuel Garcia, Jennifer Nunez, and others were actively involved in the distribution of oxycodone pills.  Wiretap conversations revealed that Tirado arranged to supply some of these pills.  On multiple occasions, intercepted calls showed that members of the conspiracy (Raul Hernandez and Jose Nunez) traveled to New York, obtained pills from Tirado, and then brought them back to New Hampshire.  On one occasion, Jose Nunez was stopped in Massachusetts while transporting $18,900 in cash that was to be used to pay for oxycodone pills that were being supplied by Tirado.

             Several targets of the investigation were arrested in Manchester on August 27, 2014.  Hernandez was arrested as he attempted to deliver over 600 oxycodone pills to the residence of Samuel Garcia and Jennifer Nunez on Eastern Avenue in Manchester, New Hampshire.  A search warrant was executed at that residence and hundreds of additional pills, as well as over $30,000 in cash, and three firearms were recovered from that location.  Garcia, Jennifer Nunez, and Johanna Nunez were arrested that day.  Jose Nunez was arrested in October of 2014, after returning to the United States from the Dominican Republic.

            Tirado was later indicted on a drug conspiracy charge.  On July 23, 2015, he was arrested in New York.  He was released on bond by a judge in New York and was directed to appear for an arraignment in federal court in New Hampshire on August 4, 2015.  Tirado did not appear in Court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.  He was arrested again in New York on August 17, 2015.

            Tirado pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy charge and the failure to appear charge on August 23, 2016.

            All of the other individuals who were involved in this conspiracy also have pleaded guilty.

            Samuel Garcia (36) pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; (2) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute; (3) Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; and (4) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.  He is awaiting sentencing.

            Jose Nunez (61) pleaded guilty on March 6, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; (2) four counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance; (3) Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; and (4) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).  He is awaiting sentencing. 

            Jennifer Nunez (26) pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; (2) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute; (3) Distribution of a Controlled Substance; and (4) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.  She is awaiting sentencing.

            Johanna Nunez (30) pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; and (2) four counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance.  On June 23, 2015, she was sentenced to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

            Raul Hernandez (29) pleaded guilty on March 17, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance and (2) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute.  On June 23, 2015, he was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

            An additional defendant, Edward Anthony Hiciano Beltre, is a fugitive.

            In addition to these defendants, several additional individuals who obtained oxycodone from this organization and resold it to customers have pleaded guilty to federal drug conspiracy charges.   Ryan Demers, William Alba, Bonnie Labrie, Krystal Mailhot, and Yonajaira Galarza Ramos have all entered guilty pleas in federal court.

            Demers was sentenced on September 22, 2015, to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  That sentence was affirmed on appeal by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

            Labrie was sentenced on March 11, 2016, to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

            Alba was sentenced on June 17, 2016, to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

            Mailhot and Ramos are awaiting sentencing. 

            “The DEA is committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who illicitly distribute oxycodone,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.   “Opiate abuse is a major problem in New Hampshire and throughout New England.  The diversion of prescription pain killers, in this case oxycodone, contributes to the widespread abuse of opiates, is the gateway to heroin and fentanyl addiction, and is devastating our communities.  This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue any group or individual that traffics these drugs.”

            U.S. Attorney Rice stated, “Many individuals begin their journey to opiate addiction through oxycodone use.  While these pills have a legitimate medical use, the illicit distribution of these potentially addictive drugs has been a significant factor in the development of the opiate crisis that is affecting New Hampshire.  The U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to work with the law enforcement community to stop the flow of opiates and opioids onto the streets of New Hampshire.  This includes identifying and prosecuting sources who are arranging to bring these dangerous drugs into our state.  This office also will take aggressive steps to prosecute those who disregard court orders by failing to appear in court.”

            This investigation was the product of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  This particular investigation involved cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Farley and Debra M. Walsh.

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Emily Gray Rice, United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, announced today that Luis Martin Carvajal Gonzalez, also known as Wilfredo Laboy, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and heroin, as well as possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.

            According to court documents, Carvajal Gonazalez, 34, sold heroin and fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer on multiple occasions in December of 2015.  The transactions occurred at retail stores in Salem, New Hampshire.  On February 9, 2016, the defendant (who previously has used the name Wilfredo Laboy) arrived at a store parking lot in Salem to conduct another drug deal.  When law enforcement officers approached, he ran away and attempted to throw “fingers” of drugs as he fled.  He was apprehended and approximately 156 grams of fentanyl were recovered.

            Carvajal Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2017.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Rice said, “The United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to identifying and prosecuting those who attempt to profit from the sales of deadly drugs.  We continue to work each day to stop the flow of fentanyl and heroin into New Hampshire and to reverse the escalating number of drug-related deaths in our state.”

            "Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire," said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  "Fentanyl and heroin are causing overdose deaths across the Granite State in record numbers, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursuing Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute these poisons across New Hampshire in order to profit and destroy people's lives and wreak havoc in our communities.  This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners."

            This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police, and the Salem, Manchester, and Methuen (Massachusetts) Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

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            Concord, New Hampshire—United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced four indictments charging seven individuals with drug trafficking activities in Manchester, New Hampshire.  The following individuals were arrested and arraigned on Monday, December 19:

            In one indictment, Elizabeth Salinas Roldan, age 41, of Manchester, was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine; Ashley Salinas Soto, age 22, of Manchester, was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine; and Celestino Nieves Vasquez, age 41 of Manchester, was charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of cocaine.

            In another indictment, Brandin Melendez, age 33, of Manchester, was charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of cocaine base and Victor Alvarado, age 28, of Manchester, was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.

             Michael J. Hernandez, age 26, of Lowell, MA, was charged with distribution of fentanyl.

            Yeoffred Cruz Ramos, age 32, of Manchester, was charged with distribution of heroin.

            Each of these individuals has been arrested this week and appeared in federal court.  Trials have been scheduled for February 2017.

            In announcing the indictments, U.S. Attorney Rice said, “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute drug trafficking.  While we encourage efforts to obtain and provide treatment for those who are addicted to drugs, the enforcement of federal drug laws is also important part of our strategy to combat the opiate crisis that is afflicting New Hampshire.”  U.S. Attorney Rice also stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

            “The epidemic of opioid abuse is devastating our communities,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.  “Today’s arrests strike at the heart of the problem – dealers who fuel the cycle of addiction and overdose.  The FBI will do everything it can to disrupt the sale and distribution of illegal drugs to make our neighborhoods safer.”

            The charges are the product of an investigation of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force.  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  Other and state and local authorities involved in the investigation include the Manchester Police Department, the Hudson Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Nashua Police Department, and the New Hampshire Department of Corrections Probation and Parole.  Investigators also received the invaluable assistance of DEA-NH/HIDTA.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – David Morel, Jr., 31, of Derry, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty on December 19, 2016, in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            In February 2014, the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Derry Police Department developed information linking online images of child pornography to Morel’s residence in Derry, New Hampshire. In April 2016, a search warrant was obtained and executed on Morel’s computer, which contained numerous videos depicting young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

            Morel is scheduled for sentencing in March 2016, and faces a maximum prison term of 10 years, to be followed by a term of at least 5 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

            The case was investigated by the Derry Police Department, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations Manchester and the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Helen Fitzgibbon and Shane Kelbley.

             In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.  

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          CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that a jury found David Ackell, 48, of Seekonk, Massachusetts, guilty of interstate stalking.  The trial began on December 13, 2016 and concluded today when the jury returned its verdict after deliberating for approximately four hours.  Ackell’s victim was a resident of New Hampshire.

          According to public documents and statements made in court, in 2013, Ackell and the victim met through social media and developed an online relationship.  In the course of that relationship, Ackell coerced the victim into sending him nude photographs of herself and then threatened to harm her by publicly disseminating the images to family and friends.

          A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for April 11, 2017.  The charge of interstate cyberstalking carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of $250,000.  Before the sentencing hearing, the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office will prepare a sentencing investigation report for the court to consider in determining what sentence to impose.   The advisory federal sentencing guidelines will be one of the factors considered by the court in determining a sentence.  

          Mr. Ackell was released on conditions pending the sentencing hearing.

          This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hancock, New Hampshire, Police Department, and the Seekonk, Massachusetts, Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon and Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella.

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          Concord, N.H.— United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice and core team partners from the Manchester Police Department, Child and Family Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations and Give Way to Freedom announced a grant of $1.3 million from the United States Department of Justice that will support the efforts of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force as it works to formalize and enhance existing efforts, and build statewide capacity to combat human trafficking.

          With this grant the Collaborative aims to create comprehensive and specialized services for all victims of human trafficking, investigate and prosecute sex and labor trafficking cases, and support data collection and analysis that will help guide the state in developing best practices for an informed response. 

          United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice said, “This grant brings much-needed funding that will substantially enhance our ability to pursue human trafficking investigations and prosecutions in the future.  The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement and community partners to identify and prosecute individuals who are engaged in human trafficking.  We will work tirelessly to bring these criminals to justice in a way that is sensitive to the needs of the victims of this very serious crime.”

          “Fundamental to the Collaborative’s efforts is the understanding that human trafficking impacts vulnerable people and populations, and any true response must include support to prevent and address vulnerability in whatever form it may take,” explained Erin Albright, Regional Program Director of Give Way to Freedom.

          “In order to effectively investigate human trafficking, we must give primary consideration to the needs of the victim.  A victim who can tell their story and testify as a competent witness is key to a successful human trafficking investigation and prosecution.  Unless we can address the needs of the victim – whether that be by facilitating long-term care, or by assisting with potential immigration benefits – our efforts to hold traffickers responsible will be hindered.  To this end, combatting human trafficking requires a multi-disciplinary approach, as we have established here in New Hampshire,” added Matt Etre, Special Agent in Charge (SAC), HSI Boston.

          “We’ve seen first-hand how trafficking, both sex and labor, is impacting people of all ages here in New Hampshire, especially those in vulnerable or marginalized circumstances,” says Erin Kelly, Runaway & Homeless Youth program director at Child and Family Services. “This collaborative will serve as a powerful first step and formidable force against human trafficking in New Hampshire."

          Chief Nick Willard, Manchester Police Department said, "The Manchester Police Department is proud to be a part of this Collaborative Task Force that will address Human Trafficking.  This grant allows us to move forward in developing a multi-disciplinary, victim centered approach to addressing the ever increasing number of Human Trafficking cases that are coming to light in the city of Manchester and throughout the state of New Hampshire."

          BACKGROUND: The Manchester New Hampshire Police Department (MPD) and Child and Family Services of New Hampshire (CFS) jointly submitted a 2016 Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking Task Force grant to the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force, which includes more than 30 NH-based law enforcement, service providers, attorneys, state agencies, and other community stakeholders gathered for the purpose of improving the statewide response to human trafficking. The Collaborative is further supported by members of a Core Team including The US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire (USAO/NH), ICE, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Give Way to Freedom (GWTF). The grant was awarded to New Hampshire for $1.3 million over three years.

          Additional information on the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force and the work of the Core Team’s investigation, service to survivors, data collection and training can be found at Give Way to Freedom’s website:

http://www.givewaytofreedom.org/initiatives/New-Hampshire-Task-Force.php

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Gladys Maria Pena Dominguez pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in an illegal scheme to use stolen personal identifying information to file false federal income tax returns and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the U.S. Treasury.  Pena pleaded guilty to one count each of the federal crimes of Theft of Government Property, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Conspiracy.  Pena, 34 years old, is a resident of the Bronx, N.Y., and a former resident of Nashua, N.H.

          According to statements made during the hearing, from January 2012 to December 2013, Pena couriered at least 130 U.S. Treasury tax refund checks from New York, N.Y., to a co-conspirator in New Hampshire, who gave Pena cash in return.  As Pena knew, the checks had been obtained from the Internal Revenue Service by conspirators who induced the IRS to issue the checks based upon false tax returns that the co-conspirators had filed using the names and Social Security numbers of real people without their consent or knowledge.  The co-conspirators also reported false mailing addresses on the tax returns to cause the IRS to mail the fraudulently derived Treasury tax refund checks to locations that they controlled.  The government alleged that the aggregate face value of the checks exceeds $1.1 million.

          United States District Judge Landya McCafferty took Pena’s guilty plea and scheduled her sentencing for March 16, 2017.  Pena is subject to a statutory maximum sentence of seventeen years in prison, fines of up to $750,000 or both.  

          This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation unit, principally by its Manchester, N.H., field office, with assistance from its field office in New York, N.Y.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Michael Younge pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in an illegal scheme to purchase firearms.  Younge pleaded guilty to one count of the federal crime of Aiding and Abetting the Making of a False Statement in Connection with the Attempted Acquisition of a Firearm.  Younge, 26 years old, lived in Framingham and Boston, Massachusetts, prior to his arrest.

          According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, Younge, two associates and Younge’s girlfriend, Tasha Gardner, visited a federally licensed firearms dealer in Hooksett, N.H., on July 15, 2015.  Younge and the one of the associates, facilitated by the second associate, solicited Gardner to buy hand guns for Younge and the first associate.  Gardner agreed.  Younge and the first associate were both convicted felons and therefore could not legally buy a firearm themselves.  Younge and the first associate were also both residents of Massachusetts.  Under federal law, it is illegal for a firearms dealer to sell hand guns to out-of-staters. Gardner attempted to purchase the firearms for Younge and the first associate.  In connection with that attempt Gardner filled out a form legally required for all intrastate over-the-counter gun purchases.  On that form, Gardner falsely certified that she was the “actual purchaser” of the two hand guns.  The transfer of firearms was never accomplished because employees of the firearms dealer became suspicious and declined to complete the transaction.

          United States District Judge Landya McCafferty took Younge’s guilty plea and scheduled his sentencing for March 16, 2017.  He is subject to a statutory maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 or both.  Younge is detained pending trial.  Gardner pleaded guilty to a related charge on November 4, 2016, and is scheduled for sentencing on February 21, 2017.

          This matter was investigated by the Bedford Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Manchester (N.H.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.

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          Concord, N.H.—United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Marcos Nieves, 40, previously of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.  

          According to the indictment and other statements made in court, members of the Manchester Police Department obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s Manchester residence in connection with an investigation into a non-fatal shooting on August 8, 2015.  While executing the search warrant, they recovered two stolen AK-47 style weapons, several firearm magazine clips, ammunition, drugs, drug dealing paraphernalia, and personal documents identifying Nieves in a bedroom closet.  At the time, Nieves was prohibited from possessing any firearm as a result of at least one prior felony conviction.

          NIEVES has been in state custody since August 8, 2015.  He previously pleaded guilty to narcotics charges in Hillsborough County in connection with the controlled substances recovered during the execution of the search warrant, and is serving a sentence of 2 to 4 years in New Hampshire State Prison.

           A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 17, 2017.

          This matter was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Manchester Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

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          CONCORD, N.H. –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Wilfredo Cuellar-Mejia, of El Salvador, has pleaded guilty to reentering the United States after having been deported previously.

            According to court filings and statements in Court, on May 1, 2016, the defendant was arrested by a Manchester police officer for Driving While Intoxicated. A Deportation Officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations in Manchester was then contacted for assistance in positively identifying the defendant.   A subsequent records check ultimately confirmed that the defendant had in fact been deported previously to El Salvador.

            Cuellar-Mejia will be sentenced at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017, and faces likely deportation after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

 

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            CONCORD – United States Attorney, Emily Gray Rice announced today that Jazzmyn Rood, 42, of Gonic, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and one year supervised release after pleading guilty to misprision of a felony in connection with the distribution of a controlled substance resulting in the death of her daughter Evangelique Tarmey.

            According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements at the sentencing proceeding, the defendant was staying at the Riviera Motel with her boyfriend Mark Ross and Tarmey.  On October 16, 2015, Ross traveled with Tarmey and another to Lawrence, Massachusetts, in order to obtain a quantity of heroin.  Ross returned to the Riviera Motel and injected Rood with the drug and then injected himself with the drug.  Ross provided a quantity of the drug to Tarmey and told Rood he had done so.   The following morning, Tarmey was found dead in the motel room.  The New Hampshire Medical Examiner later found that Ms. Tarmey died of acute fentanyl intoxication.  

            The Rochester Police responded to the motel on the morning of October 17, 2015.  Rood was interviewed by the police and denied that Ross or she had used any controlled substances during the prior evening.

            United States Attorney Rice said, “I want to thank the Rochester Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work on this case.  Fighting the opioid epidemic is a multi-pronged, team effort.  One facet of our attack is to prosecute those who are criminally responsible for causing drug overdoses.   We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute the individuals who distribute drugs that cause overdose deaths and those who provide the police with false information in those investigations.”

            “Anytime there is a loss of life involving a drug overdose it is a tragic event; but even more so in this case given the young age of the victim,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “Those suffering from the disease of fentanyl and heroin addiction need access to treatment and recovery.  But, those responsible for distributing these lethal drugs like fentanyl and heroin to the citizens of New Hampshire and those who conceal or provide false information need to be held accountable for their actions.  In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute this poison.”

            In April 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office announced the formation of an inter-office team of prosecutors who will work together to prosecute individuals who cause opiate overdoses in New Hampshire.  This prosecution, initiated before the creation of the joint team, is an example of the type of case that will be generated by the team.

            The case was investigated by the Rochester Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation. 

CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Raymond Dostie, Jr., 61, of Raymond, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Theft of Public Money.

            According to public records in the case and statements made in court, Dostie began receiving Social Security disability benefits in December 2005.  In September 2012, Dostie started working as a personal care attendant.  His income from this job rendered him ineligible to receive any disability benefits.  Dostie did not report this work activity to the Social Security Administration (SSA), but instead, he falsely told the SSA that he had worked part-time as a driver and a custodian, only, reporting wages that did not affect his eligibility for benefits.  In early 2015, Dostie admitted to investigators that he had concealed his work and income as a personal care attendant from the SSA in order to continue receiving disability benefits.  To that end, from September 2012 through December 2014, Dostie stated that he was paid for this work by checks, all of which were made payable to his wife, because he knew these earnings would have rendered him ineligible for benefits.  As a result of his concealment, Dostie was able to convert approximately $68,140.90 in disability benefits to his own use that he would not have received if the SSA had been aware of his actual work activity and income. 

            Dostie is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, 2017. 

            The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Zakee Stuart-Holt, 34, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison based upon his convictions for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and money laundering.   The defendant previously had pleaded guilty to those offenses.

            According to court documents, the defendant distributed drugs in the Manchester, New Hampshire area since at least July of 2014. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement recovered approximately 1.8 kilograms of fentanyl and $198,000 in drug proceeds from an apartment occupied by the defendant and another individual. In addition, law enforcement seized approximately $560,000 in drug proceeds from a safe deposit box in the defendant’s name. The defendant was not employed at the time of the conspiracy and the currency recovered by law enforcement constituted proceeds of the defendant’s drug distribution conspiracy. 

            “I commend the Manchester Police Department and the DEA on their thorough investigation of this case leading to the seizure of such a significant quantity of drugs and drug proceeds,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “Prosecuting those individuals who introduce dangerous narcotics into our community, and ensuring that they do not profit from doing so, is a critical priority of my office.” 

            “Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “Let this sentence serve as an example to Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals who distribute fentanyl and heroin in order to profit and destroy people’s lives, that DEA is committed to aggressively pursue and hold you accountable.  This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire to intensely go after anyone who traffics these drugs.”

            According to statistics maintained by the State of New Hampshire, over half of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2015 were related to fentanyl.  Because a single gram of heroin or fentanyl can be used to create multiple individual dosage units that can be sold “on the street,” the quantity of fentanyl involved in this case could have generated hundreds of individual doses of fentanyl, each of which had the potential to cause a fatal overdose.

            This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.   The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and Donald Feith.

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          CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Alexander Alcerro-Romero, of Honduras, was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported.

          According to public records and statements in court, in March of 2016, a deportation officer learned that Alcerro-Romero was illegally present in the United States after having been deported on two previous occasions.  During a motor vehicle stop on April 11, 2016, Alcerro-Romero could not produce a U.S. driver’s license and later acknowledged that he was not lawfully in the United States.  A fingerprint match subsequently confirmed his identity and his prior deportations.

          Alcerro-Romero, who pleaded guilty on July 6, 2016, faces likely deportation after serving his sentence.

          The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega prosecuted this case.

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          CONCORD, N.H. –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Gerardo Solis-Rojas, of Mexico, has pleaded guilty to reentering the United States after having been deported previously.

          Solis-Rojas pleaded guilty before United States Chief District Judge Joseph Laplante to an Indictment that had been returned by the Grand Jury on August 24, 2016.

          According to court filings and statements in Court, during an interview with a federal deportation officer, the defendant acknowledged that his name was Gerardo Solis and that he was a citizen of Mexico.   The defendant also acknowledged that he was not in the United States legally. A subsequent records check ultimately determined that the defendant been deported to Mexico on six previous occasions. 

          At the time of the plea, a date and time for sentencing had not yet been set.  Solis-Rojas faces likely deportation after serving his sentence.

          The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Salvador Lopez-Hernandez, of Honduras, was sentenced to 8 months in prison after pleading guilty, on August 16, 2016, to illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported.

 

Silva-Hernandez was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officers on June 15, 2016, after they developed information that Lopez-Hernandez was present in the United States after having been deported on one previous occasion.

 

Silva-Hernandez faces likely deportation after serving his sentence.

 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega prosecuted this case.

 

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that today Raymond L. Blackmer, III, 52, was sentenced to a term of 70 months in federal prison.  Blackmer, formerly of Easthampton, Massachusetts, previously had pleaded guilty to the federal crime of Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. 

          According to statements made in connection with Blackmer’s earlier guilty plea, the Easthampton (Massachusetts) Police Department learned on November 6, 2015, that Blackmer intended to travel from Massachusetts to New Hampshire with one or more firearms.  Information further indicated that Blackmer had assembled the firearms in his workshop in Easthampton, Massachusetts from component parts that he had purchased on the Internet. 

          Later that day, surveillance officers watched Blackmer leave his home with the suspected firearms and then drive across the Massachusetts border into Winchester, New Hampshire.  Upon crossing the border, Blackmer was stopped by other law enforcement officers who executed a federal search warrant on Blackmer’s car. 

          Inside the trunk of Blackmer’s car were two AR-15 style rifles, rifle sites and a loaded magazine.  During a later search of a premises in Massachusetts that Blackmer used as a workshop, Easthampton police found nine firearms in various states of assembly, at least five of which were sufficiently complete to qualify as firearms under federal law.  In connection with his plea, Blackmer admitted that, at the time of the traffic stop and the execution of the warrants, he previously had been convicted of felonies on at least five prior occasions.  It is unlawful for a convicted felon to possess firearms.

          United States District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe imposed the sentence against Blackmer.  In addition to the prison term, Judge McAuliffe imposed a criminal fine of $1000 and ordered Blackmer to serve three years of supervised release after his release from prison.  While on supervised release, Blackmer will be required to abide by certain restrictions on his activities and other conditions set by the Court. 

          This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in both Manchester, New Hampshire and in Springfield, Massachusetts, as well as the Easthampton, Massachusetts Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police.  The Office of the District Attorney for the Northwest District of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provided important support.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.

          This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a national initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to reduce gun crime in America.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Ronald Mason, 47, has been sentenced to 72 months in prison for mail fraud offenses that involved the theft of more than $650,000, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.  Mason previously pleaded guilty on June 1, 2016.

            In October 2004, Mason was sentenced to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release for a federal offense he committed in Texas.  While Mason was serving that sentence, the owner of Financial Resources Management, Scott Farrar, and Farrar’s business associate, Donald Dodge, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire to stealing more than $30 million from FRM’s investors.

            After Mason was released from prison, he absconded from his federal supervision and a warrant was issued for his arrest.  To avoid being arrested, Mason used a false last name and moved to Concord, New Hampshire.  He then caused letters to be sent to more than 100 people who Farrar and Dodge defrauded by falsely promising to use their money to build the Abbott Village condominiums in Concord.  Three people responded to the letter.  When Mason met with them, he lied to them about his personal wealth and his experience as a real estate developer.  Over the next several months, he stole more than $520,000 from the former FRM victims by falsely promising to use their money to complete Abbott Village and for other real estate projects in New Hampshire.

            When Mason’s efforts to steal money from these former FRM victims stalled, he concealed his status as a fugitive and provided false information about his personal wealth to steal more than $130,000 from two other people.

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, the United States Secret Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Kinsella.

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Andrew Michael Dufresne, a 44-year-old Manchester resident, was sentenced on Tuesday to serve 63 months in prison for robbing the People’s United Bank at 1750 Elm Street in Manchester, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

          According to court records and statements in court, on April 9, 2014, Cook entered the federally-insured bank and handed a note to a bank teller that stated, “GIVE ME THE MONEY.”   Dufresne then reached into the teller’s cash drawer and took several bundles of bills and fled the bank.  Bank alarms were activated and the Manchester Police Department released a statement concerning the robbery, including surveillance photos of the defendant.  Shortly thereafter, the police received phone calls from individuals who identified Dufresne as the robber. 

          The defendant was arrested on April 11, 2014, in Methuen after crashing a stolen car in that city.  He was prosecuted in Massachusetts on charges unrelated to the bank robbery and is currently incarcerated on those charges.  The defendant, who pleaded guilty on June 29, 2016, will serve his federal sentence after completing his current period of incarceration. 

          This case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.

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Nov. 15 (Manchester) – The United States Drug Enforcement Administration today announced that Manchester will be the fifth city in the Nation to initiate a comprehensive Diversion Control, Law Enforcement and Prevention “360 Degree Strategy” to help cities dealing with the fentanyl, heroin, and prescription drug abuse epidemic, and the associated violent crime.  DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson announced this strategy to the public today, along with Manchester Political and Community leaders, local, state and federal law enforcement, and medical professionals, substance abuse prevention and treatment experts.

“We must continue to find new and innovative ways to address the growing abuse of heroin and prescription drugs, and the violence that stems from the illicit drug trade,” Ferguson said.  “The 360 strategy brings together many agencies that have dealt with this problem separately, into a unifying, comprehensive and sustained effort to go after the drug distribution networks but also to make the communities resilient to their return.”

“We are proud to join with the DEA and our other community partners in announcing the 360 Degree Strategy, “U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice said.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to focus attention on identifying and prosecuting the large scale drug trafficking organizations that are responsible for putting these dangerous drugs on the streets of Manchester and our other local communities.  However, we know that law enforcement is only part of the solution.  Efforts to limit drug diversion, educate the community, and improve access to treatment are all important parts of the overall solution to our state’s opiate crisis.  We salute the DEA’s efforts to address this crisis in a comprehensive manner.”

The DEA 360 Strategy is comprised of a three-fold approach to fighting drug trafficking and stemming abuse:

•  Enforcement actions targeting all levels of drug trafficking organizations and violent gangs, supplying drugs in our neighborhoods.
• Diversion Control by engaging drug manufacturers, wholesalers, practitioners and pharmacists to increase awareness of the prescription drug and related heroin problem, and to push for responsible prescribing and use of these medications.
• Community Outreach by partnering with medical professionals, governmental and community service organizations to proactively educate the public about the dangers of prescription drug misuse and heroin abuse, and to guide individuals to treatment services when needed.

   

  “The community outreach aspect may be the most important and critical to its long-term success,” Ferguson said.  “We have to diligently continue to work on the most effective ways to talk about these programs in ways we’ve never done before in order to stop abuse, addiction and to save lives.”

  The 360 Degree Strategy brings together many experts in substance abuse and prevention to address four key groups by engaging in dialogue, providing information and resources to educate young people about the consequences of drug abuse and trafficking:

• Parents/caregivers in the home
• Educators and the classroom
• After school organizations such as the boy and girl clubs and athletic associations
• The workplace

   

  In the short term, the goal of the 360 strategy is to provide as much information as possible in many different forms to reach young people.  Officials will work to form a “Community Alliance” that will comprise key leaders from law enforcement, prevention, treatment, the judicial system, education, business, government, civic organizations, faith communities, media, social services and others, to form the core of a long-term group that will cross disciplines to help carry the prevention and treatment messages to the local population during the critical post-operation timeframe.

  In the future, DEA and its partners also plan to host multi-day summits to bring community leaders together to look for sustainable, impactful efforts to address drug misuse and abuse, addiction, trafficking and the violence that accompanies it. Other partners will include the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Attorney General Office, Manchester Police Department, Makin It Happen Coalition, Manchester Boys & Girls Club, Partnership for Drug Free New Hampshire and many others.

  “There is no neighborhood that is safe from the opioid epidemic-this is a threat to our Nation’s public health and public safety,” Ferguson said.  “We all have seen what this insidious disease of heroin and fentanyl substance use disorder has done to many of our neighbors, friends, and co-workers.  DEA’s 360 strategy will utilize every community resource possible to reach our young people so we can prevent that first time use and lifelong battle of addiction.”

   

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Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New England Field Division, announced today that Manchester, New Hampshire, will be the first city in the Northeast where the DEA will implement the new, comprehensive 360 Degree Strategy to address prescription opioid misuse, heroin abuse and violent crime.    

A news conference announcing Manchester’s selection as the first city in the region for the DEA strategy is scheduled for Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. at the Manchester Boys & Girls Club, 555 Union Street, Manchester, NH 03104

Moderator Jon C. DeLena, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Manchester District Office

Speakers at the announcement include:

• Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, DEA New England Field Division
• Emily Gray Rice, United States Attorney, District of New Hampshire
• Joseph Foster, Attorney General, State of New Hampshire
• Ted Gatsas, Mayor of Manchester
• James Vara, Governor’s Advisor on Addiction and Behavioral Health
• Nick Willard, Chief of Police, City of Manchester
• William Goodman, MD, MPH, FCCP, Chief Medical Officer and VP Medical Affairs, Catholic Medical Center
• Mary Forsythe-Taber, Executive Director, Makin It Happen Coalition for Resilient Youth
• Tracy Bachert, Parent/Community Volunteer

 

The goals of the new strategy include stopping the deadly cycle of prescription opioid misuse and heroin abuse by dismantling the drug trafficking organizations and gangs fueling violence on the streets and addiction in communities.  The strategy importantly includes partnerships with healthcare professionals, social service organizations and government service agencies that are best positioned to provide long-term help and support to effectuate drug-free communities.  

Just some of the national and local partners that are participating in the new strategy include the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Attorney General Office, Manchester Police Department, Makin It Happen Coalition, Manchester Boys & Girls Club, Partnership for Drug Free New Hampshire and many others.

Members of the media wishing to attend the press conference are asked to contact DEA Public Information Officer/Special Agent Timothy Desmond by Monday, November 14, at desk (617) 557-2463.

#   #   #

CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice and New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster announced today that both the United States Attorney’s Office and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office will staff voting inquiry and complaint lines at their respective offices throughout the day and evening on Election Day, November 8, 2016.

            The New Hampshire Attorney General’s toll free election line phone number is:

1-866-868-3703
(1-866-VOTER03)

            This phone line will be staffed from 7 am to 8 pm on Election Day. Inquiries and complaints may also be submitted via e-mail at electionlaw@doj.nh.gov. Information regarding voting rights may be obtained by visiting the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office website at http://doj.nh.gov/site-map/voters.htm.

            The United States Attorney’s election line phone number is:

(603) 230-2503

            This phone line will also be staffed from 7 am to 8 pm on Election Day. Inquiries and complaints may also be submitted through the United States Attorney’s Web site at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nh by clicking on the “e-mail us” link. A Federal Election Fraud Fact Sheet that explains what triggers federal criminal jurisdiction in connection with elections and voting rights can also be found on the United States Attorney’s Web site, www.justice.gov/usao-nh.

            The state and federal election lines are available to all individuals who may have questions regarding their voting rights or who want to file complaints with the New Hampshire Attorney General or the United States Attorney regarding their right to vote or any other election law violation.

            For further information, please contact Assistant Attorney General Brian W. Buonamano at the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office at (603) 271-3650, or Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman at (603) 230-2579.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Juan Alexis Diaz Pena, age 26, formerly of Methuen, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with the intent to distribute, quantities of heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone and unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.  The plea of guilty took place just before Pena’s trial was scheduled to begin.

           According to documents that were filed in court and statements in the plea proceeding, from approximately the spring of 2014 through January of 2016, Pena and his co-defendant, Martin Gonzalez Diaz, conspired to distribute quantities of heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone in the Lawrence, Massachusetts area to individuals in Massachusetts who then sold the drugs to New Hampshire-based customers for redistribution in Rochester, New Hampshire.  Gonzalez Diaz, 34, also formerly of Methuen, pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy charge on August 17, 2016, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 21, 2016.

           As part of the investigation, DEA agents searched an apartment connected to Pena and located quantities of cocaine and heroin, as well as items associated with drug trafficking. A loaded semi-automatic handgun was recovered under a mattress in a bedroom in close proximity to where the drugs were located.

           Pena is scheduled to be sentenced on February 17, 2017.

           “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to address the significant presence of heroin and fentanyl in New Hampshire by continuing to target drug trafficking organizations who are responsible for bringing those drugs into our state.” said United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            The investigation was conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Tactical Diversion Unit, Portsmouth, New Hampshire; the Rochester, New Hampshire Police Department and the Haverhill, Massachusetts Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Cole Davis and Seth Aframe are prosecuting the case.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Aaron E. Olson, 42, of Rindge, New Hampshire, was ordered to pay $22,811,405.26 to the victims of a Ponzi scheme he operated from 2007 through 2012, reported United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            Olson was sentenced to 60 months in prison last April for evading taxes from 2007 through 2010 for failing to report illicit income from the Ponzi scheme. From 2007 through 2010, Olson was the sole proprietor of an investment business known as AEO Associates (AEO).  In December of 2010, Olson formed KMO Associates LLC (KMO), an investment business that was registered in Massachusetts.  Olson ran both operations from an office in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Olson used AEO and later KMO to obtain approximately $27.8 million from individuals and organizations ostensibly to invest on their behalf.  Olson was not licensed as an investment broker in New Hampshire or in any other jurisdiction and he did not register AEO and KMO with the State of New Hampshire as investment businesses.

            Olson used approximately $2.6 million of the investors’ money for his personal benefit and used some of the investors’ money to make fraudulent “earnings” payments to other investors. To conceal this conduct, Olson sent investors fictitious earnings statements that falsely showed significant earnings in their accounts. 

            The collapse of Olson’s fraudulent scheme in about March or April of 2012 left 81 victims with collective losses totaling more than $22.8 million. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Olson was required to pay restitution to the victims in an amount determined by the court. At a hearing yesterday, Olson argued that he only owed about $17.1 million in restitution. The United States Attorney’s Office argued that he owed the entire amount each victim lost. After considering both arguments, United States District Judge Landya B. McCafferty ruled that Olson owed the full amount the victims lost and ordered Olson to pay $22,811,405.26 in restitution immediately.     

            This case was investigated by the office of Criminal Investigations for the Internal Revenue Service in conjunction with the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman. 

 

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            CONCORD, N.H.:   Today, United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice confirmed the formation of a Human Trafficking Task Force, which will receive federal grant funding to combat human trafficking in the state of New Hampshire.  The grant funding is part of a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice to fight the mounting threat posed by human traffickers, who prey upon the most vulnerable of victims to support their criminal schemes.  In total, DOJ has awarded more than $49 million to 25 states with the goal of providing comprehensive and specialized services for human trafficking victims, investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases, and supporting research designed to improve understanding of the nature of human trafficking crimes and develop best practices to prevent and respond to such crimes.

             Since 2013, there have been at least 23 recorded investigations involving forced labor or sex trafficking in New Hampshire, resulting in several prosecutions and convictions.  That number – which continues to grow – is fueled in part by the influx of opioids into the state.  Victims of the sex trafficking trade are often addicted to opiates or other drugs.  They are sometimes forced or coerced into sexual servitude based, in part, on their fear of losing a steady supply of drugs and the prospect of experiencing withdrawal symptoms as a result of that lost drug supply.

             In May 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Manchester Police Department, Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, Department of Homeland Security (Homeland Security Investigations), and Give Way to Freedom submitted a joint Letter of Intent to the Department of Justice, seeking grant money to support the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Task Force, whose members have pledged their continued partnership to implement a coordinated, collaborative, victim-centered and trauma-informed multi-disciplinary response to human trafficking in New Hampshire by (1) identifying victims of all forms of human trafficking and addressing individualized service needs of those victims, and (2) investigating and prosecuting all human trafficking offenses within the boundaries of New Hampshire.  The grant was approved in late September.  However, additional steps must be undertaken before the funds are disbursed.

             U.S. Attorney Rice praised the tremendous work done by those who prepared and obtained the grant, including the submission’s primary author, Erin Albright of Give Way to Freedom, and discussed the project’s importance in tackling this growing threat: “Human trafficking is often associated with larger metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Boston – but it happens in New Hampshire, and with increasing frequency,” Rice stated.  “Human trafficking is a heinous crime that preys on the most defenseless victims, many of whom are minors or individuals with severe substance abuse issues.  With the assistance of this grant funding, our prosecutors are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners and incredible NGOs to provide services for human trafficking victims, and hold accountable those who are profiting from these terrible crimes.”  U.S. Attorney Rice further noted that additional details will be released in December, when the project is officially launched.

            Other members of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Task Force include: the New Hampshire Department of Justice; the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office; the Police Departments of Nashua, Portsmouth, Hampton, and Salem; the New Hampshire State Police; the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office; the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage, and Hour Division; the U.S. Department of Labor (Office of the Solicitor); the Department of Children, Youth, and Families; the Granite State Children’s Alliance; the Merrimack County Advocacy Center; the Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire; the YWCA of Manchester, New Hampshire; the International Institute of New England; the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; New Hampshire Legal Assistance; Plymouth State University; the New Hampshire Restaurant and Lodging Association; the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire; Real Life Giving; and Freedom Café. 

             For further information about the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative to combat human trafficking, please go to https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-awards-more-49-million-combat-human-trafficking.

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            CONCORD, N.H.:   Today, United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice confirmed the formation of a Human Trafficking Task Force, which will receive federal grant funding to combat human trafficking in the state of New Hampshire.  The grant funding is part of a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice to fight the mounting threat posed by human traffickers, who prey upon the most vulnerable of victims to support their criminal schemes.  In total, DOJ has awarded more than $49 million to 25 states with the goal of providing comprehensive and specialized services for human trafficking victims, investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases, and supporting research designed to improve understanding of the nature of human trafficking crimes and develop best practices to prevent and respond to such crimes.

            Since 2013, there have been at least 23 recorded investigations involving forced labor or sex trafficking in New Hampshire, resulting in several prosecutions and convictions.  That number – which continues to grow – is fueled in part by the influx of opioids into the state.  Victims of the sex trafficking trade are often addicted to opiates or other drugs.  They are sometimes forced or coerced into sexual servitude based, in part, on their fear of losing a steady supply of drugs and the prospect of experiencing withdrawal symptoms as a result of that lost drug supply.

            In May 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Manchester Police Department, Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, Department of Homeland Security (Homeland Security Investigations), and Give Way to Freedom submitted a joint Letter of Intent to the Department of Justice, seeking grant money to support the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Task Force, whose members have pledged their continued partnership to implement a coordinated, collaborative, victim-centered and trauma-informed multi-disciplinary response to human trafficking in New Hampshire by (1) identifying victims of all forms of human trafficking and addressing individualized service needs of those victims, and (2) investigating and prosecuting all human trafficking offenses within the boundaries of New Hampshire.  The grant was approved in late September.  However, additional steps must be undertaken before the funds are disbursed.

            U.S. Attorney Rice praised the tremendous work done by those who prepared and obtained the grant, including the submission’s primary author, Erin Albright of Give Way to Freedom, and discussed the project’s importance in tackling this growing threat: “Human trafficking is often associated with larger metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Boston – but it happens in New Hampshire, and with increasing frequency,” Rice stated.  “Human trafficking is a heinous crime that preys on the most defenseless victims, many of whom are minors or individuals with severe substance abuse issues.  With the assistance of this grant funding, our prosecutors are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners and incredible NGOs to provide services for human trafficking victims, and hold accountable those who are profiting from these terrible crimes.”  U.S. Attorney Rice further noted that additional details will be released in December, when the project is officially launched.

           Other members of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Task Force include: the New Hampshire Department of Justice; the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office; the Police Departments of Nashua, Portsmouth, Hampton, and Salem; the New Hampshire State Police; the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office; the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage, and Hour Division; the U.S. Department of Labor (Office of the Solicitor); the Department of Children, Youth, and Families; the Granite State Children’s Alliance; the Merrimack County Advocacy Center; the Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire; the YWCA of Manchester, New Hampshire; the International Institute of New England; the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; New Hampshire Legal Assistance; Plymouth State University; the New Hampshire Restaurant and Lodging Association; the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire; Real Life Giving; and Freedom Café. 

            For further information about the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative to combat human trafficking, please go to https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-awards-more-49-million-combat-human-trafficking.

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Jorge Medina, 25, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, oxycodone and cocaine.  Medina appeared before United States District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to enter his guilty plea.

            According to documents that were filed in court and statements in the plea proceeding, Medina admitted that he and others participated in the distribution of cocaine and oxycodone pills in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  During a court-authorized wiretap investigation, law enforcement officers intercepted calls in which Medina sought to obtain drugs for distribution.  On one occasion, law enforcement officers arrested one of Medina’s customers and recovered approximately 100 oxycodone pills.  The customer later admitted that he had obtained hundreds of pills from Medina.

           A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 8, 2017. 

          Medina is one of six individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on September 23, 2015, and charged with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances.  The other defendants are: Mara Morillo, 41, of Haverhill, Massachusetts; Franklyn Morillo, 41, of Haverhill, Massachusetts; Juan Rojas, 32, of Haverhill, Massachusetts; Justin Bartimus, 35, formerly of Methuen, Massachusetts; and Michael Lally, 28, of Salem, New Hampshire. 

          Rojas also was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  He is further charged in a separate indictment with conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  Rojas is awaiting trial, which has been scheduled for January 18, 2017.  All of the other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

          This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.   The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad led the investigation with assistance from the Haverhill, Massachusetts Police Department, the Methuen, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police.   It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney, Emily Gray Rice announced today that Beau Shields, 29, of Barre, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to register as a sex offender as required by the federal Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

            According to court documents and statements made in court, Shields moved from New Hampshire to Massachusetts sometime before April 2016.  Shields never registered in Massachusetts until after he was charged by the grand jury in New Hampshire.  On two occasions, in April 2016 and July 2016, Shields reported his address as a residence located in Barre, Massachusetts.  Shields was not registered as a sex offender in Massachusetts at the time he reported that he was living at the residence in Barre.

            SORNA mandates that a person who is required to register must register in each jurisdiction where he resides, is employed or is going to school.   SORNA gives an individual three days in which to register. 

            A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 13, 2017.

           The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.

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            CONCORD, N.H. –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announces the establishment of an Election Day hotline in coordination with the U.S. Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day program for the general election on November 8, 2016. The hotline number is (603) 230-2503.

            United States Attorney Rice said: “The freedom to vote without interference, discrimination, or hindrance is a fundamental civil right enjoyed by United States citizens. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process and to ensure that every vote is counted and that no vote is stolen by fraud.”

           United States Attorney Rice has appointed Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman to serve as the District Election Officer for the District of New Hampshire. In that capacity, AUSA Zuckerman is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. He is also responsible for monitoring the Election Day hotline, which may be reached by calling (603) 230-2503.

            The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.

            Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

           The franchise is the cornerstone of our American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses regarding the November 8, 2016 general election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Zuckerman will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  He can be reached by the public at the following dedicated Election Day hotline: (603) 230-2503.

            In addition, the FBI will have Special Agents available in each Field Office and Resident Agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day.  The FBI can be reached by the public at (603) 472-2224.

            Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov, or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.

            United States Attorney Rice said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”

           A Federal Election Fraud Fact Sheet that explains what triggers federal criminal jurisdiction in connection with elections and voting rights is posted on the United States Attorney’s website: www.usdoj.gov/usao/nh.

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Samantha Renehan, 29, of Lebanon, New Hampshire and Jamie Smith, 28, of Raleigh, North Carolina pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possession of materials to manufacture methamphetamine and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about January 29, 2016, Renehan and other individuals picked up Jamie Smith from a bus station in Vermont. During the drive from Vermont to Lebanon, New Hampshire, Smith and Renehan made various stops to purchase ingredients used for making methamphetamine. Surveillance videos and pharmacy records indicate that defendant Renehan used her driver’s license to purchase pseudoephedrine at one pharmacy. After purchasing the necessary ingredients, the defendants returned to a residence in Lebanon, New Hampshire where Smith began the process of making methamphetamine. A search warrant executed at the residence uncovered materials that a New Hampshire State police forensic laboratory chemist determined are collectively consistent with methamphetamine manufacturing. The chemist also determined that two samples taken from the apartment indicated the presence of methamphetamine.  

            Smith will be sentenced on January 24, 2017.  Renehan will be sentenced on February 2, 2017.   

            The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lebanon, New Hampshire Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.

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             CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney, Emily Gray Rice announced today that Mark Ross, 42, of Gonic, New Hampshire was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to distributing a controlled substance that caused the death of Evangelique Tarmey.

            According to documents that were filed in United States District Court, Mark Ross was living with Tarmey and Tarmey’s mother at the Riviera Motel in Rochester, New Hampshire in October of 2015.  On October 16, 2015, Ross traveled with Tarmey and another person to Lawrence, Massachusetts in order to obtain a quantity of heroin.  Ross returned to the Riviera Motel with the drugs.  After using a portion of the drugs, Ross provided a quantity of the drugs to Tarmey.   The following morning, Tarmey was found dead in the motel room.  The New Hampshire Medical Examiner later found that Ms. Tarmey died of acute fentanyl intoxication.  

            New Hampshire has the third-highest rate of per capita drug overdose deaths in the United States.  More than half of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2015 were the result of fentanyl, either alone or in combination with other drugs.

            United States Attorney Rice said, “I want to thank the Rochester Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work on this case.  Fighting the opioid epidemic is a multi-pronged, team effort.  One facet of our attack is to prosecute those who are criminally responsible for causing drug overdoses.   We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute the individuals who distribute drugs that cause overdose deaths.  Any drug distribution has the potential to be deadly, regardless of the quantity of drugs involved.  When a drug distribution causes an overdose death, my office will seek to hold the distributor accountable.”

            In April 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office announced the formation of an inter-office team of prosecutors who will work together to prosecute individuals who cause opiate overdoses in New Hampshire.  This prosecution, initiated before the creation of the joint team, is an example of the type of case that will be generated by the team.

            The case was investigated by the Rochester Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.

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            Concord, New Hampshire—United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice today announced that a federal grand jury in Concord returned a three-count indictment charging MICHAEL MUNROE, a/k/a Michael Monroe, 33, previously of Raymond, New Hampshire, with one count of carjacking and two counts of bank robbery. The indictment was returned on October 19, 2016, and MUNROE was arraigned today in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Lynch, where he entered a plea of not guilty.

            According to the indictment and other statements made in court, MUNROE was arrested earlier this year after a well-publicized alleged two-state multi-week crime spree in March and April 2016.  The new federal charges focus on three specific alleged incidents: (1) that MUNROE forcibly took a 2004 Honda Pilot from a victim while she sat in the vehicle in Manchester, N.H., on March 27, 2016; (2) that MUNROE robbed a Northway Bank branch location in Ossipee, New Hampshire on March 28, 2016; and (3) that MUNROE robbed a Granite State Credit Union branch location in Seabrook, New Hampshire on April 1, 2016.  He has remained in custody since his arrest by Hancock Police on April 2, 2016.

            Trial has been scheduled to take place in the two-week period between December 13-27, 2016, in front of Senior U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe.  If convicted, MUNROE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years for the carjacking offense, and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for each bank robbery offense. 

            An indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

            This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manchester Police Department, the Ossipee Police Department, the Seabrook Police Department, the Hancock Police Department, and County Attorney’s Offices for Hillsborough, Carroll, and Rockingham counties.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

            CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Franklyn Morillo, 41, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, oxycodone and cocaine.  Morillo appeared before United States District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to enter his guilty plea.

            According to documents that were filed in court and statements in the plea proceeding, Morillo admitted that he and others participated in the distribution of cocaine and oxycodone pills in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  Over $18,000 in cash and a quantity of cocaine were seized from his residence in Haverhill during the execution of a search warrant in August of 2015.  Morillo was arrested on October 1, 2015.  A quantity of oxycodone pills and over $2,000 in cash were recovered from his residence at the time of his arrest.

            A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 7, 2017. 

            Morillo is one of six individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on September 23, 2015, and charged with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances.  The other defendants are: Mara Morillo, 41, of Haverhill, Massachusetts; Juan Rojas, 32, of Haverhill, Massachusetts; Justin Bartimus, 35, formerly of Methuen, Massachusetts; Jorge Medina, 25, of Haverhill, Massachusetts; and Michael Lally, 28, of Salem, New Hampshire. 

            Rojas also was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  He is further charged in a separate indictment with conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

            Lally, Bartimus, and Mara Morillo have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.  Medina and Rojas are awaiting trial.

            This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.   The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad led the investigation with assistance from the Haverhill, Massachusetts Police Department, the Methuen, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police.   It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Jaclyn Hilow, age 29, of Winchester, New Hampshire was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph A. DiClerico, Jr., to 120 months in federal prison.  Hilow previously had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.

            Court records show that after a lengthy investigation, law enforcement determined that Hilow was employed as a runner for a drug trafficking organization headed, authorities allege, by Ross Gould, age 29, of Richmond, New Hampshire.  Hilow distributed heroin for Gould to numerous individuals in and around Keene. On March 16, 2015, Gould was charged federally with possession with the intent to distribute heroin after search warrants executed at his Richmond, New Hampshire residence and another residence utilized by Gould to store narcotics on March 10, 2015 resulted in the seizure of over a kilogram of heroin, a large quantity of cocaine, prescription pills, currency, and 14 firearms. 

            “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to address the significant presence of heroin in New Hampshire by continuing to target drug trafficking organizations who are responsible for the importation of large quantities of heroin into New Hampshire from source cities such as Lawrence, Massachusetts.” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            This investigation was the product of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.

            The investigation was conducted by the: (1) Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; (2) New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force; (3) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; (4) New Hampshire State Police; (5) Keene, New Hampshire Police Department; (6) Richmond, New Hampshire Police Department; and (7) Salem, New Hampshire Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis prosecuted the case.

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            Concord, New Hampshire – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice and Michael J. Ferguson, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, announced today that over 20 individuals recently were indicted in federal court in Concord in connection with their participation in heroin trafficking activities. 

            On October 5, 2016, the following individuals were charged by indictment with participating in a conspiracy that distributed over one kilogram of heroin:

• Alberto Guerrero Marte, 33, of Lowell, Mass.;
• Santos Guerrero Morillo, 36, of the Dominican Republic;
• Michell DeJesus, 36, of Lowell, Mass.;
• FNU LNU (FIRST NAME UNKNOWN LAST NAME UNKNOWN), a/k/a Luis Rodriguez Lugo, a/k/a Boss, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• FNU LNU, a/k/a Maribel Santiago-Ramos, a/k/a La Cuna, a/k/a Miguelina, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• Allison DeJesus, 18, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• Jonaly DeJesus, 21, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• Allan Raymond Pimentel, 20, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• Santo Rodolfo Garcia Mendez, 32, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• Wilkin Andre Beltre Arias, 38, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• Heibrahim DelValle Baez, 32, of Salem, Mass.;
• Alfredo Gonzalez, 49, of Manchester, NH;
• Querzon Baez, 34, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• Pedro Carlos Vicente Guerrero a/k/a Omar Camacho, 47, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• FNU LNU, a/k/a Tony, a/k/a Edward Garcia, a/k/a Eric Guerrero, 30, of Lawrence, Mass.; and
• FNU LNU, a/k/a Jose Pimentel, a/k/a Todolindo, a/k/a El Lindon, a/k/a Lindy, 25, of Lawrence, Mass.

            On the same day, a second related indictment charged the following individuals with conspiring to distribute heroin:

• Ramon Rodriguez, 70, of Methuen, Mass.;
• Amy Tremblay, 35, of Haverhill, Mass.;
• Judith Ardolino, 53, of Haverhill, Mass.;
• Mary Levis, 59, of Haverhill, Mass.;
• Gayle McNamara, 55, of Lawrence, Mass.;
• Kevin Roche, 49, of Haverhill, Mass.;
• Jessica Sederquest, 37, of Manchester, NH;
• Eric Sederquest, 35, of Manchester, NH; and
• Stephen J. Tolmie, 53, of Raymond, NH.

            FNU LNU a/k/a Tony, a/k/a Edward Garcia, a/k/a Eric Guerrero, 30, of Lawrence, Mass., also has been charged in a separate indictment with two counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

            Between October 12, 2016 and October 25, 2016, almost all of the above individuals have been arrested or were already in custody on other charges.  Heibrahim DelValle Baez and Santos Guerrero Morillo remain fugitives.

            “Solving the opiate epidemic in New England requires a multi-pronged approach.  Part of that solution is to prosecute individuals who are responsible for distributing heroin and who profit on the addiction of others.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute individuals who are responsible for the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and other opiates.  This case is an example of the tremendous partnership among law enforcement agencies.  I commend all of the agencies involved in this case for their teamwork and dedication in this investigation,” U.S. Attorney Rice said.

            "DEA is addressing the threat of heroin and fentanyl, both internationally and domestically.  We prioritize our resources by identifying, targeting and destroying these extremely violent and very organized cartels,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “DEA and its law enforcement partners have effectively dismantled the distribution and facilitation elements of this organization that are responsible for putting this poison on the streets of New Hampshire as well as throughout New England. DEA will aggressively pursue organizations or individuals who facilitate heroin and fentanyl by allowing out of state dealers to utilize their residences and provide customers to the dealers in order to profit and destroy people’s lives, and wreak havoc in the Granite State.”

            The indictments are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

           This investigation was the product of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.

            The case was investigated by the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; the Massachusetts State Police; the Haverhill Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the New Hampshire State Police; the Manchester Police Department; the Lawrence Police Department; the Lowell Police Department, the Methuen Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and Donald Feith. 

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CONCORD, N.H. – Gordon Daigle a/k/a Gordon Hill, 38, of Epsom, pleaded guilty today in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of Social Security Number Misuse, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            According to statements made in Court, on April 6, 2015, Daigle applied for a New Hampshire Non-Driver Identification Card using another person’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number.  He produced a Social Security card and a birth certificate in the other person’s name with his application to the Department of Motor Vehicles as means of identification.  On May 23, 2016, Daigle was apprehended by the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force as a result of warrants issued by the Wyoming Board of Parole and the New Hampshire Department of Corrections Parole Board for parole violations.  When he was taken into custody, he was in possession of the New Hampshire Non-Driver Identification Card issued in the other person’s name, but bearing his picture, and the matching Social Security card.

            Daigle is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1, 2017.

            The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the United States Marshal’s Service.  It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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            Boston, MA – This weekend DEA will once again conduct one of its most popular community programs:  National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.  On Saturday October 22 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. the public can dispose of their expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications at one of 566 collection sites throughout New England, operated by 505 local law enforcement agencies and other community partners.  The service is free of charge, no questions asked and most of these collection sites can be found in the lobby of your local Police Department.

            America is presently experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers.  6.4 million Americans age 12 and over—2.4 percent of the population—abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month, more than abuse cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine combined.  Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes or firearms.  The majority of prescription drug abusers report that they obtain their drugs from friends and family, including from the home medicine cabinet. 

            “The diversion of prescription pain killers contribute to the widespread abuse of opiates, is the gateway to heroin addiction, and is devastating our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  "Many Americans are not aware that medicines which languish in home cabinets are highly vulnerable to diversion, misuse, and abuse.  Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisoning and overdoses due to the illegal use of these drugs.  Please take the time to clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse."

            United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire Emily Gray Rice stated: “Participation in the DEA’s Drug Take-Back Day is one of the most important things that the average person can do to prevent the misuse of prescription drugs.  Removing these drugs from our homes insures that these powerful substances do not fall into the wrong hands or become the spark that ignites opioid addiction.  I hope that everyone will take this opportunity to safely dispose of these drugs, and to encourage their friends and neighbors to do the same.”   

            Last April, during its 11th Take Back Day, the DEA New England Field Division (NEFD) participated in the Drug Take-Back Day and over the course of four hours 86,900 pounds of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs were collected at 551 collection sites throughout New England.  The following was the breakdown of collected weights for the six New England states:

​

​Connecticut 

​8,815.50 lbs.

​

Massachusetts

​25,028 lbs.

​

Maine

​31,960 lbs.

​

New Hampshire  

​12,560 lbs.

​

Rhode Island

​3,460 lbs.

​

Vermont              

​5,094.60 lbs.

​

Total for NEFD 

86,918.1 lbs. 

            The public can find a nearby collection site by visiting www.dea.gov, clicking on the “Got Drugs?” icon, and following the links to a database where they enter their zip code.  Or they can call 800-882-9529.  Only pills and other solids, like patches, can be brought to the collection sites—liquids and needles or other sharps will not be accepted.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Joshua Starr, 30, formerly an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on federal weapon possession charges, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.  The Court imposed a term of 18 months’ imprisonment, to be served consecutive to Starr’s current prison sentence.

            During a routine cell search in November 2015, FCI Berlin correctional officers discovered a six-inch plastic stabbing weapon secreted in Starr’s assigned bunk.  Starr was previously prosecuted and convicted in federal district court in New Hampshire for possession of a similar weapon as an inmate at FCI Berlin. 

           This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Abramson.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Robert Duquette, 74, of Hudson, pleaded guilty today in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of Theft of Public Money.

            According to court records and statements in Court, Duquette’s mother was receiving widow’s benefits from the Social Security Administration at the time of her death in October 2006.  After her death, Social Security continued to deposit these monthly benefits into a bank account Duquette held jointly with his mother.  Duquette failed to advise Social Security that it was making payments erroneously to his deceased mother.  Instead, he withdrew the monies from the account and used them for his own personal expenses for over seven years.  Because his mother’s death was not reported to Social Security, Duquette was able to convert approximately $101,250 in Social Security benefits to his own use. 

            Duquette is scheduled to be sentenced on January 24, 2017. 

            The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Ricardo Mejia, a 25-year-old resident of Manchester, N.H. was sentenced today to 54 months in federal prison for robbing a Manchester bank branch last year, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. Mejia previously had pleaded guilty to one count of the federal crime of Bank Robbery.

 

            In connection with his earlier guilty plea, Mejia acknowledged that, on September 4, 2015, he entered a branch of Northway Bank at 29 Cilley Road in Manchester and whispered to a bank teller, “Give me all 100s, 50s, 20s. I have a gun.” While he did not brandish a firearm during the incident, Mejia further admitted that he cautioned the teller, “Don’t give me any tainted money or I’ll come back and shoot you.” Mejia also acknowledged that, after the teller handed him a substantial amount of cash from her teller drawer, he fled.

 

            United States Chief District Judge Joseph N. LaPlante imposed today’s sentence. In addition to ordering the term of incarceration, Chief Judge LaPlante ordered Mejia to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

      

            The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. –Mustafa Hasan Arif, an individual with dual citizenship in Pakistan and the United Kingdom, appeared in United States District Court in Concord, NH today where he pled guilty to wire fraud.  Arif defrauded individuals by fraudulently selling drugs claiming to cure many serious diseases.  Arif targeted individuals around the world, including victims in New Hampshire, announced United States Attorney Emily Rice.

            According to court records, while in Lahore, Pakistan, Arif created, maintained and controlled over 1,500 websites that promoted the sale of drugs claiming to cure and treat hundreds of diseases, many of which were incurable, including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and emphysema.  The websites included falsified cure rates, false clinical research and fabricated testimonials.  One series of websites fraudulently claimed to have shown in clinical trials a cure rate of 90 percent, while other websites included links to clinical research that had not been written about the drugs on the websites. Arif falsely represented that the drugs were being sold by entities in Germany, Norway, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and Denmark when in fact the drugs were all being sold and shipped from Pakistan. Arif used those false addresses to make customers more comfortable purchasing the drugs. Documents in the case show that Arif ‘s scheme generated more than $12 million in fraudulent sales.

            Arif was originally arrested on a criminal complaint issued in New Hampshire after he flew into New York in February 2014 on a business trip.  He appeared in federal court in New York and was transferred to New Hampshire, where he has remained in custody. Arif is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2017.

            This investigation was led by the FDA/Office of Criminal Investigations, Cybercrime Investigations Unit along with Homeland Security Investigations. Assistance during the investigation was provided by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, Portsmouth New Hampshire Police Department, the United States Consulate, Diplomatic Security Service Lagos, Nigeria office, New Zealand Ministry of Health, United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, and the Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs.  The investigation is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen and Senior Counsel Sarah Hawkins of the FDA/Office of Chief Counsel.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Tonya Dailey, 44, of Franklin, New Hampshire, was sentenced to one year of probation.  Dailey pleaded guilty to one count of Social Security Fraud on June 24, 2016.

            According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, Dailey began receiving Social Security disability benefits in 1999.  Dailey returned to self-employment in June 2010, earning sufficient income each month to render her ineligible to receive any disability benefits.  Although she reported her receipt of nominal earnings as a bartender during a review with the Social Security Administration (SSA) in 2014, Dailey did not report her significant monthly income from self-employment to SSA.  Upon questioning by investigators in May 2015, Dailey admitted that she concealed her work activity from SSA because she knew her earnings would have disqualified her from receiving Supplemental Security Income disability benefits.  Applicants for Supplemental Security Income benefits must have limited income and resources in order to qualify for assistance.  As a result of her concealment, Dailey received $30,230.78 in disability benefits that she would not have received if she had properly disclosed her self-employment income.

            Dailey was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe.     

            The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Jeannette Hardy, 25, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.

            According to an offer of proof made by the United States at the hearing, the Manchester Police responded to a residence in Manchester on June 22, 2015 after receiving a report of gun shots.  Police found the defendant at a convenience store nearby.  She had a gunshot wound to her hand and finger.

            The police searched the residence and found 1.783 kilograms of fentanyl and $198,542 dollars in United States currency.  Subsequent searches uncovered $560,050 in a safe deposit box and $7,000 in a storage unit.

            A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 27, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the United States District Court.  The defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

              “Prosecuting those individuals who introduce fentanyl and heroin into New Hampshire is a priority of my office,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “This case is an example of a very successful collaboration between local and federal law enforcement working together. I commend the Manchester Police Department and the DEA for their tireless efforts and cooperation on this case.”

             “Opiate abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire and throughout New England,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “Fentanyl and heroin are causing overdose deaths across the Granite State, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue trafficking organizations or individuals who distribute these poisons to areas of New Hampshire in order to profit and destroy people’s lives, and wreak havoc in our communities.  This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners."

            The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department.  It was prosecuted by AUSA Georgiana Konesky and AUSA Donald Feith.

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            United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire will be participating in the Department of Justice’s recognition of National Community Policing Week, October 3-7, 2016. 

            “Supporting and promoting strong relationships between our communities and the law enforcement agencies that serve the public is one of our most important priorities.  Community policing is a comprehensive philosophy which embodies the principle that trust and mutual respect between police and the communities that they serve, insures that police and community stakeholders are true partners in preventing and fighting crime,” stated United States Attorney Rice.  “We are very proud to support the law enforcement agencies across our state who protect the public safety with unfailing dedication, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, and to recognize that these partnerships result in stronger and safer communities.”

            The Office of the United States Attorney will be participating in several special events in connection with Community Policing Week in New Hampshire.  On Tuesday, October 4, 2016, United States Attorney Rice will join Concord, New Hampshire Police Chief Osgood for “Coffee with a Cop” at 9 a.m. at the Newell Post, 125 Fisherville Road, Concord, New Hampshire.  Then, on Wednesday, October 5, 2016 at 7 p.m., United States Attorney Rice will participate in a crime prevention meeting conducted by the Nashua Police Department at Temple Beth Abraham, 4 Raymond Street, Nashua, New Hampshire.  Both events are open to the public.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Jose Casellas, 39, a citizen of the Dominican Republic most recently residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to a federal indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            According to court documents, the defendant was arrested while attempting to deliver approximately three kilograms of fentanyl to a confidential informant. A search of Casellas’s residence resulted in the seizure of $12,000, a holster, and some ammunition. Through additional investigation, law enforcement obtained the address of a stash house and processing mill used by the defendant. Law enforcement officers then obtained a search warrant for the address and found approximately 898 grams of heroin, one kilogram of fentanyl, nine kilograms of a cutting agent, and three firearms. The stash house was used primarily for preparing drugs as it contained kilogram and finger presses, numerous blenders, cutting agents, and a ventilation system. The doors and windows were fortified. The defendant sold drugs that were ultimately distributed in New Hampshire since at least 2014.

            Casellas’s plea agreement includes a binding stipulated sentence of 204 months in prison. It also provides for the forfeiture of any property constituting or derived from the conspiracy. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 12, 2017, in front of United States District Judge Landya B. McCafferty. At that time, the Court will decide whether to accept the plea agreement and impose the agreed-upon period of incarceration, as well as any other conditions of Casellas’s sentence.    

            “Prosecuting those individuals who introduce heroin and fentanyl into New Hampshire is a priority of my office,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “This case is an example of a very successful collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement partners across state lines. I commend the Manchester Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and the DEA for their tireless efforts and cooperation on this case.”

            According to statistics maintained by the State of New Hampshire, over half of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2015 were related to fentanyl. Because a single gram of heroin or fentanyl can be used to create multiple individual dosage units that can be sold “on the street,” the quantity of fentanyl involved in this case could have generated hundreds of individual doses of fentanyl, each of which had the potential to cause a fatal overdose.

            “Opiate abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire and throughout New England,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Fentanyl is causing overdose deaths across the Granite State, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue trafficking organizations or individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute fentanyl to areas of New Hampshire in order to profit and destroy people’s lives, and wreak havoc in our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

            This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and Donald Feith.

CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Sean Miller, 28, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison following his conviction on a charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

          Miller previously pleaded guilty on June 20, 2016. According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements in the plea proceeding, Miller was arrested after the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force (NHAFDTF) and Keene Police department executed a search warrant at Miller’s former Keene residence, during which a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun was seized in conjunction with drug records, hypodermic needles and a digital scale. On four prior occasions in May and June, 2015, Miller sold quantities of heroin to a NHAGDTF Confidential Informant at Miller’s residence. Under federal law, it is unlawful to possess a firearm to protect one’s drug trafficking activities or the location from which one distributes narcotics.

          Miller was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph A. DiClerico. After serving his prison sentence, Miller will be placed on supervised release for three years.

          This case was investigated by the NHAGDTF and the Keene Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.

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           CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Raldo Mario Henry has pleaded guilty to making false statements in a fraudulent attempt to obtain a United States passport and to reentering the United States after having been deported previously.

            Henry, who was arrested on July 7, 2016, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joseph DiClerico to an Information that was filed on September 22, 2016.

            According to court filings and statements in Court, a Special Agent of the Diplomatic Security Service spoke with the defendant who had come, of his own volition, to the National Passport Center to check on the status of his application for a passport. The defendant was unable to provide any information about the people he claimed on the application were his parents.  He also could not provide any other information about his childhood.

            When told there was another person in Pennsylvania using the identity information he had used on the passport application, Henry ran away.  He was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. Further investigation revealed that Henry was a Jamaican national who previously had been deported to Jamaica.

            Henry will be sentenced on January 3, 2017, and may face deportation after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. State Department, Diplomatic Security Service and by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Dwight Smith, 44, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, pled guilty on Wednesday in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            A joint investigation by the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Manchester, and the Hinsdale, New Hampshire Police Department resulted in the seizure of a computer and an external hard drive from Smith’s Hinsdale residence.  A search of those devices revealed dozens of videos and several hundred still images of child pornography.

            Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2017.  The defendant faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force in conjunction Homeland Security Investigations Manchester, and the police departments of Hinsdale, Manchester, Portsmouth, and Hampton, New Hampshire. 

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

             In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Filipe Villar-Arias, of the Dominican Republic, has pleaded guilty to reentering the United States after having been deported previously.

            Villar-Arias pleaded guilty before United States District Chief Judge Joseph Laplante to an indictment that had been returned by a federal grand jury on July 27, 2016.

            According to court filings and statements in court, a New Hampshire State Police Trooper contacted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officer for assistance in identifying the defendant who was suspected of having previously obtained a New Hampshire driver’s license by presenting fraudulent identification and who was attempting to renew that license at the Manchester DMV. Records checks ultimately revealed that the defendant had been deported once previously to the Dominican Republic.

            Villar-Arias will be sentenced at 10:00 AM on January 3, 2017, and faces likely deportation after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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            CONCORD – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Charles Moore, 32, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today to possessing contraband in the prison.  Moore possessed a homemade weapon made up of a pair of scissors, a pen and shoelaces.  The weapon was discovered by prison officials when Moore failed to clear a metal detector screening.

            According to documents that were filed in United States District Court, Moore failed to clear a metal detector located within the prison a total of six times.  After the sixth failure, Moore was subjected to a visual search.  During that search, prison officials discovered the weapon.

            A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 13, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.  Moore faces a maximum sentence of five years.  He is subject to the advisory sentencing guidelines which will likely generate a sentencing range that is less than five years.

            Moore is currently serving a 200-month sentence for armed bank robbery.

            The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and was prosecuted by AUSA Don Feith.

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